This was Jim Fraser as a cadet at West Point, about the time he graduated in 1947 from the U.S. Military Academy.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Fraser as a young lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers when he served in Germany in 1948 as part of the occupation troops after World War II.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Change of command in 1967 in Fort Bliss, Texas, when Fraser took command of the 31st Engineering Battalion. He's the officer saluting the colors, second from the left.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Fraser was a full colonel near the completion of his 27-year career in the U.S. Army in 1972. He was commander of the 35th Engineering Construction Group at Fort Bragg, N.C.

SUN PHOTO BY DON MOORE

Jim Fraser of Port Charlotte today, at 90.

By DON MOORE

Sun Correspondent

Text Size:

Jim Fraser, a resident of South Port Square in Port Charlotte, already had two years of college behind him at the Missouri School of Mines (now Missouri University of Science and Technology) when he got a chance to take a competitive exam in 1944, along with 360 other potential candidates, for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He not only passed the test, but three years later in 1947 graduated at the top of his class. He was 12th out of 320 graduates.

You are currently not logged inBy logging in you can see the full story.